Applying Protection to Prop - Under water!!

[Neeves]

Perspiration and elbow grease....!

I suspect long winter nights around a fireside are also conducive

Jonathan

 

[Spi D]

Tried car body anti rust (Tectyl), brushed on.

No succes either.

 

[vyv_cox]

Not applied underwater of course but Hammerite primer and Velox continue to be very successful for me. Now in fourth or fifth season, still the same tins. The primer has not been renewed for a couple of years now, Velox sanded back and one or two coats applied before launch. I inspected the prop and P-bracket yesterday, a few small limpet type shell growths on the P-bracket, possibly one or two on the hub of the prop, none on the blades. Main point is no tube worm which prior to Velox would have covered the prop hub and blades by now.

We launched on June 1 and set off almost immediately but due to fresh-strong winds all season have spent quite a bit of time in berths in the northern Aegean, far more stationary periods than normal, which I guess is when the growths occur.

The hull antifouling is Million, a low-cost Greek product. Working quite well, water line pretty black due to all the stationary periods but otherwise just a thin coating of green slime.

 

[vyv_cox]

Totally agree. I spent days prepping and coating our prop with primer, then multiple (5) coats of velox. I've never seen fouling like I saw when she was hauled after a year. The primer was pretty much intact, but the Velox had come away, mostly. I had high hopes, but nada. Ah well, back to the udder ointment then...

My experience is that Velox does not adhere very well. Although the instructions say four coats I find that a coating this thick chips off very readily. I only use one or two coats now, which mostly stays on. My primer coat is several years old, I sand it with 320 grit and apply the Velox. This seems to work well.

 

[vas]

My experience is that Velox does not adhere very well. Although the instructions say four coats I find that a coating this thick chips off very readily. I only use one or two coats now, which mostly stays on. My primer coat is several years old, I sand it with 320 grit and apply the Velox. This seems to work well.

Interesting,

Does your craft spent any serious amount of time (say a month or more) stationary in a high growth, 27-28C marina?
MiToS was also in the water by mid June iirc, and used in three outings till now (nicely spaced apart and 3-5 days each.
Velox on the tabs on their primer is still on and working, TKwhatever prop spray is covered with tube worm.
Needless to say I'll try Velox next year on the props, but wonder if my pattern of use will suit the Hammerite-Velox combo.
Finally, which Hammerite? probably what was once called smoothrite, don't want the orange peel effect of the normal stuff, do you?

cheers

V.

PS. apologies if all that has been discussed in detail before, if you could point to a thread I'd very much appreciate it

 

[macd]

Just how do you get this "mirror finish" on your props?

You buy a metal-polishing kit for use with a drill, angle grinder or, ideally, a bench grinder. About £15 from Amazon. It also has many other uses. The blingier half thought it did a great job on our stanchions.
Example here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cleaning-P...72886010&sr=1-3&keywords=metal+polishing+kits

 

[KAL]

My experience is that Velox does not adhere very well. Although the instructions say four coats I find that a coating this thick chips off very readily. I only use one or two coats now, which mostly stays on. My primer coat is several years old, I sand it with 320 grit and apply the Velox. This seems to work well.

Thanks Vyv. I will certainly give this a go. It was actually on your recommendation that I tried the Velox in the first place, and I did use the hammerite special metal primer, which has largely stayed on. Ok, two coats it will be!

 

[robertj]

Yes there is which I have found works every time, can be applied underwater which cleans at the same time.
Green scouring pad applied vigorously around the blades by a person (usually me) in wetsuit and face mask.

 

[macd]

Yes there is which I have found works every time, can be applied underwater which cleans at the same time.
Green scouring pad applied vigorously around the blades by a person (usually me) in wetsuit and face mask.

That's what I used to do (but without the wetsuit ), and it works. However, it does seem to leave micro-scrratches on the surface which the critters can easily cling to. If the blades are polished, a plastic scraper just sweeps them off.

 

[robertj]

Good point will try that next year but with wetsuit lol

 

[Thedreamoneday]

Just how do you get this "mirror finish" on your props?

I used metal polish and a dremel polishing kit, it took ages. I then warmed up lanolin in the sun till runny and then rubbed in as if I was polishing the toe caps on boots.

 

[vyv_cox]

Interesting,

Does your craft spent any serious amount of time (say a month or more) stationary in a high growth, 27-28C marina?
MiToS was also in the water by mid June iirc, and used in three outings till now (nicely spaced apart and 3-5 days each.
Velox on the tabs on their primer is still on and working, TKwhatever prop spray is covered with tube worm.
Needless to say I'll try Velox next year on the props, but wonder if my pattern of use will suit the Hammerite-Velox combo.
Finally, which Hammerite? probably what was once called smoothrite, don't want the orange peel effect of the normal stuff, do you?

cheers

V.

PS. apologies if all that has been discussed in detail before, if you could point to a thread I'd very much appreciate it

Last year we didn't move at all in August, had a week in an apartment then the water pump bearings seized as we were about to depart. I posted a photo at the end of the season showing no fouling at all on the prop.

The primer is Hammerite Special Metals but my tin is the old solvent version, now superseded by the water based version. I have never tried that one.

I have posted photos of my Velox prop at haul out for the past three or four seasons. Search 'Velox' should find them.